The King of Comedy

Having a passion doesn’t always translate to finding a job in that field. Some even say that you shouldn’t make your hobby your work, which I partly agree with. This movie is not about finding a passion, because there is one already very on the nose. In this movie we follow Rupert Pupkin, played by Robert De Niro (it’s a Scorsese movie, so it tracks), who aspires to be a stand-up comedian. He lives in his own world, talking to cardboard people and pretending it’s all for his future as the best comedian in the world.

Rupert has a large repetoire and believes he can do anything that has to do with comedy; he just needs somebody to help him rise to the top. This is why he needs to track down a talkshow host in the form of Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis). the portrayal of a hero and fan interaction is magnificent. The politeness in the beginning turning to the ‘yeah, yeah, yeah’s’ and eventually to a ‘I’ll just promise some things and then this guy will leave me alone’. This is where Rupert Pupkin’s determination starts to present himself on the Jerry Langford-show. Will he succeed?

Rupert has a large repetoire and believes he can do anything that has to do with comedy; he just needs somebody to help him rise to the top.

Robert De Niro delivers an exceptional performance, being elevated by Jerry Lewis. He really captures the feeling of a delusional individual and you start pitying him in the beginning. This quickly turns to shock when he starts stalking his idol. ‘The king of comedy’ has some of the best writing in all the Scorsese movies. The dialogue is vague, delusional, dark and humoristic; which sums up Rupert Pupkin perfectly.

More roles are filled in Diahnne Abbott (De Niro’s wife at this time) playing Robert De Niro’s friend. All side-characters have a very strong personality, which makes sense, since the movie is about extremes in the comedy-industry. All of the actors do a very good job, honorable mention going to the deskworker for Jerry Langford’s office. She really sells the tired worker dealing with annoying people in the hospitality industry.

The film also uses a bit of dream dialogue. It’s gradually more recognizable, since it’s more crazy every single time. It’s solely focussed around Rupert and his dreams to be The King of Comedy.

It’s one of the better scorsese movies out there in my opinion. The characters have a very good psychological depth and strong personalities. There is no good or bad guy, just weirdo’s everywhere, just like the real world. The dark humor combined with the correct portrayal of celebrity obsession creates a disturbing vibe and the performances by the actors really seal the deal with this film. The King of Comedy is amazing, definitely a must-watch if you’re a Scorsese-fan, and if not, maybe this one helps you to become a Scorsese fan.

9/10